And the bulk of the Haygarthian fortune--I suppose that's something rather stiff ?" returned Valentine, in the same persuasive tone.
"Well, you may suppose it's a decent figure," answered Mr.Sheldon, with an air of deprecation, "or how could I afford to give you three thou' out of the share I'm likely to get ?" "No, to be sure.

I think I shall take to the work well enough when once I get my hand in; but I shall be very glad of any hint you can give me at starting." "Well, my advice is this: begin at the beginning; go down to Ullerton; see my oldest inhabitant.

I pumped him as dry as I could, but I couldn't give myself enough time for thoroughly exhaustive pumping; one has to waste a small eternity before one gets anything valuable out of those hazy old fellows.

Follow up this Matthew from his birth; see the place where he was born; ferret out every detail of his life, so far as it is to be ferreted; trace his way step by step to London, and when you get him there, stick to him like a leech.

Don't let him slip through your fingers for a day; hunt him from lodging to lodging, from tavern to tavern, into jail and out of jail--tantivy, yoicks, hark-forward! I know it's deuced hard work; but a man must work uncommonly hard in these days before he picks up three thou'.